New Delhi: In a bid to propagate credible and authentic Ayurveda at the global level, a committee of professionals and well wishers from across the world named "Friends of Ayurveda" was announced here Monday.

The committee, announced by Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on the sidelines of the World Ayurveda Congress underway here, will also provide a broad platform for all the stakeholders in India's traditional curative systems.

Friends of Ayurveda (FoA) headquartered at Delhi will work closely with Department of AYUSH, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, private bodies and individuals.

Extending all possible help to FoA from the government, Sitharaman said that the committee should try to create a data bank of all home-based solutions and put it on the World Ayurveda Congress (WAC) Internet for the benefit of the masses.

"Also, not all the Ayurveda practitioners are well-qualified. We have to be cautious about it. We need to standardize medicines and put in place a system for certification of practitioners," she said.

S. Saji Kumar, Convener of FoA said, "Initially, our aim is to connect with professionals and friends of Ayurveda in 30 countries, mostly in Asia, Europe and the Gulf. The prime objective is to facilitate recognition and acceptance of Ayurveda globally and find a meaningful role for it in the public health scenario,"

"Awareness has to be built and the Indian diaspora can engage with people in their adopted countries to cultivate interest in traditional curative systems," said Kumar who is also an Ayurveda practitioner in Kerala.